love called but not heard
by Zil1
Summary: Several RE characters battle with their emotions. has Chris/Jill & Leon/Claire..ch 10 is up
1. Default Chapter

*Author's note: I got some of the info. about their pasts from the S.D. Perry books. Hope you like it. Please R&R*  
  
*Disclaimer: none of my characters. All Capcom's. And title made up by Fearix-San Wolfgang Check out his RE storied also! ^_^*  
  
  
  
************  
  
Chris groaned and turned off his alarm clock. It was too early to be up, especially on a Saturday...He rolled over and went back to sleep.  
  
********  
  
Meanwhile Claire was downstairs cooking breakfast. She checked her watch. 9:30. Was Chris getting up or what?  
  
Claire hated making her brother get up so early on a weekend, but it was for a good cause.  
  
"CHRIS! GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE OR I'M TAKING YOUR CREDIT CARDS AND LEAVING!"  
  
A few minutes later Chris stumbled down the stairs in jeans and his nightshirt.  
  
"Have a nice sleep?"  
  
Chris glared at her, "Why am I doing this for you?"  
  
Claire smiled and gave Chris his breakfast, "Because you know if you don't, I'll never leave you alone again."  
  
"Why don't you just take Leon?"  
  
Claire blushed slightly, "Because Leon will not pay for my motorcycle. Now eat up. I wanna visit several dealers today and make sure we get the best deal."  
  
Chris sighed and tried to eat his scrambled eggs. He found them to be extra rubbery today. He walked around to the sink and swiftly threw them down the garbage disposal when Claire had her back turned.  
  
"You know, you could borrow my bike. You don't need one of your own."  
  
"Yes I do!" Claire argued, "You're always using yours and I had one of my own before I went to Raccoon. But it was destroyed when they blew up the city!"  
  
Chris sighed at the mention of Raccoon City. He had loved his life there. But that was before Umbrella got there. That was before he lost his friends to that damn company.  
  
'Snap out of it Chris,' his mind yelled, 'You've got everything you need here. Claire. Jill...'  
  
He smiled at the thought of Jill. She was...incredible. He'd liked her since the moment he'd first seen her. It had only been a small attraction then, but as he got to know her...wow! She could do everything.  
  
There was no doubt; he'd fallen in love with her.  
  
But did she feel the same way?  
  
Chris sighed inwardly. There was no way he could tell. There were times when Jill seemed to love Chris just as much, but other times, she seemed so distant....  
  
"Yo, Chris! Hurry up!" Claire's voice snapped Chris out of his thoughts. And within a couple of minutes they were out the door.  
  
************************  
  
Leon sighed and turned to his desk at the police station. He had desk duty today.  
  
**Boring!**  
  
He leaned back in his chair and wondered what Claire was doing.  
  
They'd just started dating last week. But you'd never be able to tell it. Claire wouldn't let Leon get too close to her.  
  
Leon sighed and started mindlessly filling out the mounds of paper work. He knew Claire was still constantly thinking of Steve.  
  
**But he's gone dammit!**  
  
And he's been gone for over a year now.  
  
**Relax, Leon. She's still recovering.**  
  
But how much time would she need to 'recover'?  
  
*************  
  
Jill leisurely ran her brush through her hair. She was in no rush. She didn't need to be anywhere for another three hours. She was meeting Rebecca at the mall. Girls' day out.  
  
**Not like I'll enjoy myself...**  
  
Jill wasn't much for going shopping, mostly because of how she was brought up. Richard had taught her how to steal what she wanted. He taught her 'why buy things when you can get them for free?'  
  
**Dear old dad...**  
  
Well, now 'dear old dad' is serving his sentence in prison. That's what had made Jill join the S.T.A.R.S. (Special Tactics and Rescue Squad); what had caused a dramatic change in Jill's life.  
  
**Maybe it would have been safer to continue being a thief. You never would have had to deal with Umbrella...**  
  
'You also never would have met Chris.' Her mind argued.  
  
She smiled slightly. Chris. He was amazing. So strong, so commanding; and yet, so gentle and kind. She did love him. But there were times she still thought of Carlos. Not like it mattered. She'd insisted that they could only be friends shortly after they left Raccoon. Sometimes she felt guilty about not giving him a chance, but she knew it never would have worked. Not something she could explain, just a gut instinct about him.  
  
But did Chris feel the same way about her?  
  
She sighed and continued brushing her hair.  
  
**********  
  
Okay everyone thanks for reading! Please R&R! 


	2. The new bike

*************  
  
Chris groaned, "No more dealers Claire. Please!"  
  
"Come on Chris, one more. I promise we can go home after this next one," Claire smiled hopefully at her brother.  
  
He sighed, "Fine. But this is the last one!"  
  
He started his convertible and headed downtown.  
  
"I got a real good feeling about this next place, Chris..."  
  
"That's what you said about the last ten places," Chris interrupted.  
  
Claire laughed, "This is different."  
  
"Right..."  
  
Claire turned up the radio and started singing along.  
  
"If you don't stop singing, you're not getting a thing."  
  
Claire laughed and sang louder.  
  
"I'm not kidding."  
  
Chris chuckled, and swerved into another lane, slamming Claire's shoulder into the side of the car, "Told you I wasn't kidding."  
  
Claire rubbed her shoulder, "But you didn't turn around. I know you Chris. You'll let me get away with anything. Well, me and Jill..."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Chris asked, his hands tightening their grip on the steering wheel.  
  
"Come on Chris," Claire giggled, "You're not fooling anyone, except Jill. You're totally head over heals in love with her."  
  
"Claire..."Chris warned.  
  
Claire ignored him, "Chris and Jill, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G..."  
  
"Oh, and what about you and Leon?" Chris inquired, cutting off Claire's song.  
  
"What about us?" Claire asked.  
  
"Claire, I know you, you've been going out with Leon for over a week. And you two were flirting ever since I met the guy. Now you're not letting him get close to you. What's up with that?"  
  
"Nothing's up with that..."Claire said, staring at hands in her lap.  
  
"Claire..."Chris coaxed.  
  
"Nothing's up." Claire said again.  
  
"Claire, is it Steve?" Chris said lovingly.  
  
"No...well...he's part of it," Claire stammered.  
  
"What's the other part?"  
  
"You'll think it's stupid."  
  
"You're worried I'll think it's stupid?! Claire, I am the king of stupid. Nothing you say will be stupid to me," He paused, "Who locked himself out the car and spent half an hour panicking before realizing he just had to go inside the house and get the spare key?"  
  
Claire laughed, "You."  
  
"And who is the one who set fire to that spider and wound up burning down our tree house because he didn't realize that the fire spreads?"  
  
Claire doubled over with laughter at the childhood memory, "You."  
  
Chris waited a couple of seconds for Claire's laughter to stop, "Right. So you see, you can't beat that stupidity."  
  
"It's just...It's different with Leon. You know?"  
  
Chris nodded.  
  
"I'm enjoying just being with him. I admire him. But I'm afraid that if we rush into things, I'll lose the side of him that I confide in, the side of him that likes to talk to me, just as much as...anything else. I'm afraid he'll look at me differently once we become more...intimate."  
  
Chris pulled into the motorcycle dealer and Claire jumped out and started admiring the bikes.  
  
*********  
  
Jill had met Rebecca in the food court and she had already spent hours going from store to store watching Rebecca try on dresses that she'd probably never see again.  
  
"Hey Jill!" Becky called.  
  
"What?" Jill said; she was getting more and more aggravated with each store that they went to.  
  
"I think you should try this on," Becky said, handing Jill a tight blue shirt and a black mini skirt.  
  
"Becky..."  
  
"Come on, just try it."  
  
A couple minutes later, Jill found herself wearing the outfit and having Becky check her out.  
  
"It's you."  
  
Jill sighed, "Can I get rid of this now?"  
  
Becky ignored her, "I bet Chris will like it."  
  
"Oh, please..." Jill groaned, but looked at herself in the mirror anyway. Actually, she didn't look bad, "You really think Chris will like it?"  
  
Becky giggled, "So you admit it! You like Chris!"  
  
"Shhhh," Jill whispered.  
  
Becky smiled, "He would. Wear it next time we all go out to lunch."  
  
Jill looked at herself in the mirror again. Chris WOULD like it. And they did get together every Friday afternoon with a bunch of friends. Maybe she would wear it next time...  
  
********  
  
Leon smiled. No more work for the weekend.  
  
YES! FREEDOM!  
  
Time to go pick up Claire and head to dinner. Maybe she'd be in a good mood...  
  
He pulled into her driveway and she was standing there polishing a brand new Harley.  
  
"Whoa! Awesome bike!" He exclaimed.  
  
"I know. Isn't it great! Chris and I got it earlier!"  
  
"It's beautiful."  
  
"You ready for dinner? I'm driving."  
  
"Okay," Leon said, confused, and tried to give Claire the keys to his car.  
  
She laughed, "I mean, I'm driving the bike!"  
  
Leon's eyes widened. He'd never been on a motorcycle. Claire laughed again.  
  
"Don't worry. There's nothing to it. I'll go get the gear!" She ran over gave Leon a kiss on the cheek and ran inside the house.  
  
'Geez...She gets a bike and she kisses me on the cheek. What does she need in order for me to get a goodnight kiss?' His mind said sarcastically. 


	3. Don't Kiss & Tell...

***********  
  
Chris's eyes snapped open and he glared at his alarm clock. It's incessant beeping was not what he needed to hear at the moment. He reached over and slammed down the snooze button. Silence. Perfect. He rolled over, closed his eyes and....  
  
***BEEP BEEP...***  
  
Damn that was a short snooze.  
  
He slowly got to his feet. He hated Mondays.  
  
He groggily grabbed his uniform from it place on his dresser and collapsed back on the bed.  
  
It was so soft, so warm, so inviting...  
  
********  
  
*BEEP BEEP*  
  
Jill checked her watch. She was supposed to carpool with Chris, but what was taking him so long.  
  
She honked her horn again.  
  
"Come on Chris," She whispered to herself.  
  
She saw Claire emerge from the house and start toward the car.  
  
Jill sighed and rolled down her window, "Morning."  
  
"Hi!" Claire said cheerfully, "Sorry, Chris overslept. He should be down in about fifteen minutes. In the meantime you can come in and have some coffee."  
  
"Well, ain't that just like Chris. Did he yank his alarm clock out of the wall?" Jill giggled.  
  
Claire laughed, "Not this time. He slept right through it. I went in there and he was passed out on his bed, the alarm clock blaring beside him."  
  
They both laughed. They'd have to be sure to tease Chris later.  
  
*********  
  
Chris looked out the window. Claire and Jill were laughing hysterically at something.  
  
'Probably you. Now hurry your ass up!' his mind yelled.  
  
He hurriedly got dressed and, since he would be seeing Jill shortly, he brushed his teeth.  
  
He went downstairs and heard Jill and Claire giggling in the kitchen.  
  
"Hello ladies."  
  
"HI CHRIS!!" They both yelled back as loudly as they could. They doubled over with laughter.  
  
He stared at them, "I'm not deaf."  
  
"Sorry Chris. We assumed that only a deaf person could sleep through that alarm," Claire gasped between the laughs.  
  
Chris smirked at his sister and yanked her ponytail good-naturedly.  
  
"Come on Chris. We gotta get to work. Barry and the others are probably waiting for us," Jill said.  
  
**********  
  
Leon sat at his desk smiling to himself when Chris and Jill walked in.  
  
"What are you smiling about?" Chris questioned.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Yeah, well you're not the type to smile on Monday mornings. What gives?"  
  
Leon ignored him and just kept on smiling. Suddenly Chris realized why. Claire and him had been on a date last night. Chris knew Claire had gotten in late.  
  
He glared at Leon in disbelief.  
  
"Alright everybody, listen up!" Barry's voice boomed, "I know it's Monday, and lots of you are all rested up. So I figure some nice physical training is a nice way to start the day."  
  
Everyone groaned, except Chris. He was focused on something else. Jill noticed.  
  
She elbowed him, "You okay?" she whispered.  
  
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," he smiled. But Jill knew the smile was forced. She'd have to talk to him again later.  
  
*********  
  
After the physical training, Jill was going to the vending machines to get some water when she overheard Chris and Leon talking.  
  
"What happened?" Chris asked.  
  
"Not of your business," Leon shot back.  
  
"She's my sister; that makes it my business."  
  
"What we do in our spare time is NOT your business."  
  
Jill cringed as she heard Chris shove Leon against the wall. She peeked around the corner. He had Leon pinned against the wall and was holding him by the collar of his uniform. Leon had to be at least a foot and a half off the ground.  
  
"Listen, I know you care about Claire, but trust me, if you ever, EVER, hurt her, in any way, I'll kick your ass so hard all your relatives will feel it."  
  
"I won't hurt her..."Leon choked out.  
  
"You better not."  
  
Chris dropped him and Leon fell to the floor gasping for air.  
  
***********  
  
HI everyone! Thanks to those who have been reviewing! I'll try to keep this story going. If anyone has any ideas about where they want this story to go, please tell me in a review.  
  
Thanx!  
  
~zil 


	4. Brotherly love

*********  
  
Claire slammed down the phone and charged out of her room.  
  
"CHRIS!!"  
  
Chris turned off the TV; he knew what was coming, "Down here, Claire!"  
  
He heard her hurry down the stairs.  
  
"What the hell did you say to Leon?!"  
  
Chris stared at her, "I simply said if he broke your heart, I'd break every bone in his body."  
  
Claire fumed, "Don't threaten MY boyfriend!"  
  
"I just want to make sure he treats you right," Chris defended, his voice steadily rising to match Claire's.  
  
"He treats me just fine! He doesn't need you slamming him against the wall..."  
  
"If he hurts you, he'll be glad I gave him the warning!"  
  
"Warning?! You were strangling him!"  
  
"I was making him listen!"  
  
"Bullshit!"  
  
Chris took a deep breath, "Let's calm down. I know I didn't need to, but I did because you're my little sister and I still want to protect you."  
  
Claire stared at him, caught of guard by his sudden sincerity, "You don't need to protect me anymore. I'm not a child."  
  
"You're still, and always will be, my little sister. And warning the boyfriends comes with the older brother territory."  
  
Claire sighed. She knew he just wanted to protect her.  
  
"Listen, next time, make him listen without slamming him against a wall, okay?"  
  
Chris chuckled and nodded.  
  
"Besides, I was able to take care of myself in Raccoon, what makes you think I can't handle harmless, innocent Leon?"  
  
***************the next day******************  
  
Chris sat there talking to Claire and waiting for the others to show up.  
  
"They're probably trying to get as far away from us as possible," Chris mumbled checking his watch.  
  
"Nah, we got here early cuz my bike is so fast!" Claire said, once again gloating about her new bike.  
  
"If I had known you'd gloat this much about the freaking bike, I never would have gotten if for you."  
  
"Yes you would have," Claire smiled.  
  
"Hi Claire," Leon said, and glanced at Chris, "Hey."  
  
Chris smiled and nodded, "Hey... listen, truce?"  
  
Leon was caught off guard, "Uh...what?"  
  
Claire elbowed him.  
  
"Yeah, truce," Leon was surprised Chris hadn't attacked him; but instead offered a truce. IN fact, calling truce was the last thing Leon expected Chris to do.  
  
"What's up everyone?" Barry walked up to the group, and joined them at the table, "Where's Jill and Rebecca?"  
  
"I'm here!" Rebecca exclaimed, coming up behind Barry, then plopping in the seat next to Claire.  
  
"Let's order food already!" Claire complained.  
  
"We need to wait for Jill..." Chris argued.  
  
Claire and Becky groaned.  
  
"Act your age," Barry scoffed, "Oh, wait, you are."  
  
The guys chuckled and Becky hit Barry lightly.  
  
"Hi everyone!"  
  
They all turned to look at Jill. Chris's jaw dropped.  
  
**Damn! She's never looked so sexy.**  
  
Leon whistled, "Nice outfit Jill."  
  
Claire elbowed him in the ribs.  
  
"Ow!"  
  
"Hi Chris," Jill sat down next to him.  
  
"Hi. You look...umm..you're...uh...beautiful."  
  
**Dammit! Smooth Chris....**  
  
Jill smiled, "Thanks."  
  
"Becky, let's go to the ladies room," Claire said, grabbing Becky's arm, and pulling her away, and nudging Leon.  
  
Barry already saw what Claire was trying to do.  
  
"Leon, let's go to the men's room," Barry said sarcastically, and they both stood up and went to get the pizza, leaving only Chris and Jill at the table.  
  
"I think we've been set up," Chris said.  
  
"I think so too."  
  
There was an awkward silence.  
  
Chris broke the silence, "Listen Jill, I...umm...was just thinking...uh...maybe, if you want, we can go out to dinner sometime? I mean, if you don't have to, we don't have to, but I'd like to take you out sometime..."  
  
Chris shut up. He was babbling.  
  
Jill smiled at Chris, "I would like nothing better."  
  
************  
  
thanks for reading everyone! Please review! 


	5. The perfect date?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chris fumbled with his tie again. After several attempts of accomplishing nothing but choking himself, he called for Claire, "Yo Claire!"  
  
Claire appeared in the doorway to Chris's room, "What's up?"  
  
"Wanna help me with this tie?"  
  
She leaned against the doorway, "What's in it for me?"  
  
He grinned, "I won't tell Leon tell Leon about all your old boyfriends."  
  
Claire didn't move, "You never paid any attention to my old boyfriends."  
  
"Oh, yeah? You remember Mr. 'Fifty-year-old but he has a Harley so he must be cool'? Or how about Mr. 'I'll flirt with anything that moves'? Or maybe that one guy you made bail for so he could take you to dinner only so he could get arrested later for beating up that cop? Should I go on?"  
  
"Fine, fine I'll help you with your damn tie."  
  
She walked over and tied his tie. Making the knot extremely tight.  
  
"Claire...Claire, can't breath..." Chris choked out.  
  
"Okay, but before I loosen it, promise never to bring up those boyfriends again."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Meanwhile, Jill was making a fuss about getting ready on time. Rebecca had come over to help her. And had brought some of her own jewelry to help make Jill look amazing. Jill wasn't one for keeping tons of jewelry around the house.  
  
"Don't you think earrings would be nice tonight?" Rebecca asked, holding up her tackiest pair.  
  
Jill threw her hairbrush at Becky.  
  
"Just a thought," Becky defended.  
  
Jill studied herself in the mirror, "You think Chris will like this dress?"  
  
Becky eyed the silk blue dress, "I think he'll like anything you wear."  
  
Jill looked at the clock, "Oh my gosh! He'll be here in five minutes and I haven't done my hair yet!"  
  
**Ding dong!**  
  
"Someone's early."  
  
"Shut up Becky! Go get the door!"  
  
Jill hurriedly did her hair and went down to see Chris.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chris was waiting at the bottom of the stairs chatting with Becky, but he was rendered speechless when he saw Jill.  
  
"Hi Chris."  
  
"Uh...Hi Jill. Umm...these are for you," he said holding out some roses for her.  
  
'Stop stuttering you moron!' Chris's mind ordered.  
  
Jill smiled and took the roses, "Thanks."  
  
Becky snatched the flowers from Jill, "I'll go put these in some water. You two go have fun."  
  
"And what will you be doing?" Jill questioned Becky.  
  
"House sitting."  
  
"BS. You better be gone when we get back," Jill retorted.  
  
Chris immediately picked up on the 'we'.  
  
**When WE get back! Score!** Chris's mind shouted.  
  
"And no going though my stuff," Jill warned Becky, snapping Chris back to reality.  
  
With that, Chris and Jill left for dinner, leaving Becky to 'house sit'.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Claire looked up at Leon, who was intently watching the movie. He had decided to drop by and 'keep Claire company,' as he put it. She smiled and snuggled closer to Leon. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chris took Jill to a nice seafront restaurant just north of town. He knew Jill loved seafood, and, although he hated the food, he found himself having a great time.  
  
They talked about everything from family to past relationships to surviving the terror of Umbrella.  
  
"I remember how petrified I was when I found out Claire went to Raccoon City," Chris recalled, "I thought for sure I'd lost her too."  
  
"Well, she showed you she could kick some serious zombie ass."  
  
They laughed.  
  
**Man, she knows how to lighten up a conversation** Chris thought.  
  
It was Jill's turn to reminisce, "I remember when I thought I had lost..."  
  
**BRING**  
  
"Dammit," Jill swore, pulling her cell phone from her purse, "Hello?...Yeah...What?! Alright, I'll be right over."  
  
Chris tensed. For a moment he thought that there had been a new development with Umbrella. They were just laying low for the time being, waiting for the next Umbrella slip-up.  
  
"I gotta go. Sorry to cut this short."  
  
"What's the problem?"  
  
Jill sighed, "While Becky was 'house sitting' she managed to make enough noise to disturb the neighbors. The cops found her snooping through my stuff and they thought she was a burglar. She's in jail and needs someone to make bail."  
  
Chris laughed, "Becky?! I didn't think she had a bad bone in her body!"  
  
"It's always the quiet ones."  
  
Chris drove Jill to the police station and helped make bail for Becky.  
  
"What the hell were you thinking?" Jill reprimanded, "I told you not to go through my stuff!"  
  
Chris bit his tongue to stop from laughing as they all piled into his car.  
  
"Sorry. I was just looking for something to eat."  
  
"In my bedroom?! And why did you insist on house sitting anyway!"  
  
"Come on Jill, lighten up. You have all the fun stuff at your house: A huge stereo, a gym in the basement, big screen TV.... I just wanted to have some fun."  
  
Jill shook her head. Becky only had a one-bedroom apartment that wasn't very well furnished. Jill had gotten a huge pay hike when she had transferred to the S.T.A.R.S. team in Raccoon City, "Fine, you're forgiven, but no more 'house sitting'!"  
  
Chris dropped Becky and Jill off at Jill's house. Becky had insisted on coming over with Jill to help clean up the mess she made.  
  
As Chris pulled into his driveway, he noticed Leon's car parked there.  
  
Chris walked in and saw Leon and Claire making out on the couch. He leaned against the doorway and cleared his throat. Leon and Claire pulled apart. Chris glared at them.  
  
Leon looked, and probably felt, petrified.  
  
"Hello," Chris said.  
  
"Hi, Chris," Claire said.  
  
"Umm...Hi Chris...I was just...uh...leaving," Leon stammered. With that he grabbed his coat from behind the couch and quickly walked out the door.  
  
"Chris!" Claire whined.  
  
"I didn't say anything!" Chris defended.  
  
Claire grumbled and ran up the stairs to her room. 


	6. He's back...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"What the hell did you do to my house?!" Jill shrieked.  
  
"I just looked through a few things," Becky defended.  
  
Jill glared at Becky and motioned to the living room that looked like a tornado had just hit it, "YOU decided to look through MY things!"  
  
Jill didn't bother to hear the response. She threw her hands in the air and hurried upstairs to her bedroom.  
  
"AHHHHH!! BECKY!!!" Jill shrieked when she saw her room. The drawers had been emptied on the floor, the clothes in her closet now lay in a heap in the corner, there was also a random purple stain in the middle of the carpet, "BECKY!!!!!!!!"  
  
Downstairs, Becky tensed and, guilt overtaking her, started to clean up the living room.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
*knock knock*  
  
"Go away!" Claire yelled at her brother.  
  
Chris opened the door and came in anyway, "Sorry if I interrupted anything."  
  
Claire ignored Chris and sat on her bed, staring at her wall.  
  
"Not like you should be doing that in MY living room anyway."  
  
Claire glared at Chris, "This is MY house too!"  
  
Chris shook his head, "I bought the house and I pay the bills. You moved in with ME."  
  
Claire sighed, admitting defeat, "Let's call it even."  
  
"That's my girl," Chris said, walking over and putting Claire in a headlock.  
  
"Ack!" Claire grabbed her pillow and hit Chris with it as hard as she could.  
  
This launched a counter attack by Chris and soon the two siblings were having the pillow fight of the century.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Becky finished cleaning the living room around midnight, luckily not finding too much irreparable damage.  
  
She sighed and collapsed on the couch, falling into a deep slumber.  
  
And that's how Jill found her the next morning.  
  
Jill looked around the living room; it was amazing. It looked almost like it did before hurricane Rebecca. One or two things out of place, but nothing major.  
  
Jill smiled and looked down at Becky.  
  
**She tried so hard to fix her mistakes...*  
  
Jill went into the kitchen to cook breakfast when something outside caught her eye. A red corvette.  
  
Jill stopped at the window and looked out. There was man in the car...  
  
It couldn't be. He had left for 'personal reasons' shortly after the incident in Raccoon City. It couldn't be. Why would he come back?  
  
The man got out of the car and began walking to the front door. As he got closer, Jill's suspicions were confirmed. Carlos was back.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Thanks for reading everyone. Please tell me what you think. Sorry this chapter's kinda short. I'll try to make the next few longer. PLEASE REVIEW!! 


	7. Preposition

Disclaimers: RE is not mine, characters not mine. Only the plot is mine. MINE! ALL MINE! Mwhahahahahaha!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Jill opened the door before Carlos even had a chance to knock.  
  
"Carlos! What are you doing here?"  
  
Carlos was taken aback, "Nice greeting to give to someone who saved your ass in Raccoon."  
  
Jill calmed down slightly, "Sorry."  
  
"No problem, Chica."  
  
"Wanna come in and grab some coffee or something?"  
  
"Absolutely," Carlos replied, stepping past Jill and surveying the room.  
  
"Sorry, it's a little bit of a mess," Jill apologized, showing Carlos to the kitchen.  
  
"Actually, it's very ne-" Carlos stopped mid-sentence when he entered the kitchen. It was still a mess from Becky's 'house-sitting'.  
  
Becky had been able to work wonders on cleaning the living room, but the kitchen was another story. Several dishes lay broken on the floor, most of the drawers were pulled out, and there was food and crumbs covering almost every inch of the floor.  
  
"What happened here, Chica?" Carlos asked, staring at the mess that lay before him.  
  
"Just call it Hurricane Rebecca," Jill smiled and carefully walked over to the coffee machine, trying not to break anything else.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Claire revved her Harley, loving the way it sounded. She smiled, wondering where she could go to show it off.  
  
*Who cares? Go anywhere. Go somewhere. Harleys are not meant to sit in driveways.*  
  
Claire smiled and revved the engine again, loving how the engine practically purred.  
  
Meanwhile, Chris was not loving the noise of the Harley.  
  
*I knew I'd regret buying her that damn thing...*  
  
He smiled as the roar of the Harley gradually came to a halt. He rolled over and started to drift of to sleep again...  
  
When he heard the roar of the engine again.  
  
*Son of a...*  
  
He flung the covers off of him and went to the window. He saw Claire, sitting on her bike, just smiling and revving the engine.  
  
He grumbled and opened the window, "Claire! Stop it! If you're not going anywhere, don't waste the gas!"  
  
Claire looked up at her brother, "It's no waste to me. I pay for the gas with your credit card. I don't mind!"  
  
Chris glared at her.  
  
"Just something I learned from Jill. She's good for something...Well, I guess she's good for TWO things for you, huh?" Claire smiled up at her brother.  
  
"That's it! It's go time."  
  
Chris quickly got dressed and ran down to his own Harley. Revving his engine, he turned to Claire; "We race our bikes to the park. Loser buys lunch!"  
  
With that, he roared off down the driveway, Claire right behind him.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Jill told Carlos all about Rebecca's 'house sitting' and he told her about his continuing career as a mercenary, but no longer with Umbrella, of course.  
  
"Not a nice job, but someone has to do it. Besides, it keeps a low profile. Umbrella finds out I'm still alive and not working for them, I'm as good as dead."  
  
Jill smiled slightly, "So, why are you here?"  
  
"Well, I..." Carlos looked at Jill. He was originally planning on telling her a lie, but now, he could not bring himself to lie to the beautiful goddess in front of him, "I just had to see you again, Jill. I'm going on a mission down in Cuba."  
  
"What kind of mission?"  
  
"Well, I need to do some research down there first. Find out what I'm up against. Basically, I'm being sent in as the scout. Find out how many soldiers we may need, what they know and don't know, etc."  
  
Jill nodded.  
  
Carlos smiled, "I'd like you to come with me."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"I win."  
  
"You also gave yourself a head start!" Claire complained.  
  
Chris smiled, "I taught you to be prepared for anything. You should have been able to win that. Now, for lunch...hmmm...how bout that new Mexican restaurant downtown?"  
  
Claire scowled at her brother, "I'll get you yet, Christopher Redfield."  
  
"I'm sure you will," Chris replied, "We all have our dreams."  
  
Claire glared at her brother and pulled out her cell phone. She mechanically dialed the numbers.  
  
"What are you doing?" Chris asked, once again perplexed by his sister's behavior.  
  
"Shush," Claire hissed, turning her attention back to the voice on the other end, "Yeah. Hi, Leon!...Uh-huh. Listen, how about you meet us at that new Mexican restaurant downtown...Yeah, and bring some money."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Jill stared at Carlos, still trying to understand what he had just asked her.  
  
"We could really use someone with field experience. And it's not like we'll need to use our skills unless absolutely necessary. But someone with your experience in explosives, and lock-picking, not to mention Raccoon..." Carlos explained.  
  
"I don't know Carlos..."  
  
"The decision is yours Jill, but I'd really like you to come."  
  
"How long?"  
  
"A month, maybe two."  
  
Jill looked down at the floor, "I don't know, Carlos..."  
  
Carlos came over and kneeled in front of her, forcing her to look at him, "Say yes, Chica."  
  
Jill just stared at him, she'd never been so uncertain in her life.  
  
Carlos reached up and caressed her cheek, "It's okay, Chica. You think about it."  
  
He stood up and looked down at her, "I'll talk to you in a couple of days."  
  
She nodded, offering a slight smile.  
  
He smirked, then bent over and started kissing her. A thousand thoughts raced through Jill's mind as she debated over Chris and Carlos.  
  
*Chris. He understands me. Carlos. He saved me. So did Chris. Go to Cuba (!) We went through Raccoon City together. S.T.A.R.S. partners...*  
  
"Ahem."  
  
Carlos broke away from Jill and turned to their uninvited guest. Jill looked mortified when she saw Becky. In the excitement of Carlos's return, she had completely forgotten Rebecca was even in the house.  
  
"Morning," Becky stated flatly, staring at Carlos.  
  
He glanced down at Jill and smiled, "Bye Jill."  
  
With that, he turned and left.  
  
Becky's gaze turned to Jill, "Well?"  
  
"How much of that did you hear Rebecca?"  
  
"Every word."  
  
Jill looked at the floor, but she was unable to hide from the shame she knew was on Becky's face, the shame that was even in her own soul.  
  
"I thought you knew better Jill. What about Chris?"  
  
The question was left unanswered, the shame left un-cleansed.  
  
Jill heard Becky's footsteps leave the kitchen and exit the house, the door slamming behind her.  
  
Jill knew right then the severity of the mistake she had made with Carlos. 


	8. What to do?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Jill stared blankly at the broken dishes on the floor. Now what would she do? She couldn't just take off to Cuba with Carlos. Could she?  
  
NO.  
  
She wouldn't, couldn't do that to her friends, to Chris.  
  
So what should she do?  
  
*Just act like nothing happened.*  
  
She wouldn't go to Cuba. She'd stay here with Chris. She'd act like nothing happened. That way she could stay with Chris. If she told Chris about all this, no way he'd still want to be with her.  
  
Next time she talked to Carlos, she'd tell him no. She would stay here.  
  
Simple as that.  
  
*But what about Rebecca?*  
  
Jill sighed. She'd have to talk to Becky later.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Barry carelessly scrolled through the pages of the internet. It looked like Umbrella was being pretty quiet.  
  
They probably didn't want to attract any attention to themselves and would wait several more months before trying anything.  
  
He haphazardly typed in a new search: 'Cannibal Murders'.  
  
He yawned and took a sip of his coffee as he waited for the results to come up.  
  
The results eventually came up and he clicked on a news article. He quickly scanned it until he came across the words 'Umbrella Corporation'.  
  
He stared at the screen for several moments, making sure he was reading it correctly.  
  
1 'Dwin, Utah—Police are now investigating the deaths of two teenagers found just two miles from a local Umbrella Corporation facility.  
  
2 "I saw what looked to be human bite marks on both victims' arms and legs. It seemed obvious that someone or something had tried to eat them," said Dr. Sara Roget, who found the bodies Monday morning.  
  
3 The autopsy revealed that both victims were bitten and partially eaten, supposedly by human jaws.  
  
4 No one has been blamed for the incident as of yet.  
  
5 But Umbrella Corporation has volunteered to help find out who is behind the murders.  
  
6 "It's scary when murders like this take place so close to home," says Umbrella spokesperson, Gene Deo, "Our facility employs over thirty percent of the people in this town and we want to do our part to make sure everyone here is safe..."  
  
Barry stopped reading, grabbed his cell phone and called Chris.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
*RING*  
  
Jill sighed and grabbed the phone, "Hello."  
  
"Hi, Jill. It's Chris."  
  
"Hi Chris," Jill smiled, "What's up?"  
  
"Can you meet me at my house in twenty minutes?"  
  
"Yeah. Why? What's up?" Jill didn't like the tone of his voice.  
  
"We need to talk. See you then." Chris hung up.  
  
Jill hung up the phone. What could he possibly want to talk about?  
  
Jill froze.  
  
He hadn't spoken to Becky yet, had he?  
  
She frantically called Becky's home phone number.  
  
No answer.  
  
Jill hung her head in defeat and went to get dressed.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Author's note: Howdy everyone! Thanks for reading and reviewing. I love your feedback. Anyway, I hope to have the next chapter posted fairly soon, that's part of the reason why this one was so short. Anyway, please review! I crave feedback! 


	9. Honesty is the best policy...isn't it?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
As Jill drove up Chris's driveway, she took a deep breath.  
  
What could she to excuse her behavior? Was it excusable? Not really.  
  
She killed the engine and braced herself to face him.  
  
What's the worst he could do?  
  
Even IF he didn't kill her; without a doubt, he wouldn't want to be with her anymore. In which case, she'd want to kill herself.  
  
She looked over at his front door; she took another deep breath and opened the car door just in time to see Barry open the front door.  
  
Barry?!  
  
What was he doing there?  
  
He motioned for her to come inside. She mechanically got out of the car and walked over joined him. He just nodded his greeting and closed the door behind them.  
  
"What's up?" Jill asked, eyeing him suspiciously.  
  
"Come on, let's wait till everyone else is here," Barry said, showing Jill to the living room where Chris, Claire, and Rebecca were already assembled.  
  
Claire sat in front of the computer reading something. Rebecca was sitting next to Chris on the couch.  
  
Chris stood up when he saw Jill, offering a weal smile.  
  
*Oh crap. He knows*  
  
Jill made a sad attempt to return the smile and sat down on a chair next to the couch, avoiding Chris's gaze. When she did glance up, she only saw Becky's piercing glare. Jill decided it would be best to stare at the floor.  
  
"I'll go get some drinks," Claire said, standing up from the computer.  
  
"I'll help," Becky said coldly, walking out of the room behind Claire.  
  
Jill continued to stare at the floor, now tracing over part of the wood pattern with her sneaker.  
  
"I didn't know my floor was so intriguing," Chris whispered to Jill.  
  
Jill managed a smile, but still avoided his gaze.  
  
"I'll go keep lookout for Leon," Barry excused himself and went to stand guard by the front door.  
  
"You okay?" Chris asked, once Barry was out of earshot.  
  
Jill looked up at him, "I didn't want any of this to happen."  
  
"Of course not," Chris said, thoughtfully.  
  
"I wish it never happened."  
  
"We all do."  
  
"We?"  
  
"Barry, Claire, Becky, all of us."  
  
"They all know!" Jill exclaimed, surprised by Becky's insensitivity. How could she tell all of them?!  
  
"Yeah," Chris answered, confused.  
  
Jill shook her head and angrily marched into the kitchen.  
  
When she got there, she found Claire looking through the fridge and Becky filling up the ice cube trays at the sink.  
  
"Claire. Out!" Jill ordered, although her gaze never left Becky.  
  
"You know this IS partly my house. You could say 'please' when you order me around," Claire replied sarcastically.  
  
Jill glared at her.  
  
Claire raised her hands slightly in defeat, "I'm outta here."  
  
As soon as Claire left, Jill started throwing accusations at Becky.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with you!"  
  
"ME? I didn't do anything wrong!" Becky snapped back.  
  
"Like hell you didn't!"  
  
"I didn't. Don't you go accusing me of..."  
  
"My accusations are justified!"  
  
"How so?"  
  
"You told Chris everything! Not only that you told the others!"  
  
"I did no such thing! Stop accusing me of doing things that I never di..."  
  
She is interrupted by a flying paper towel role that Jill hurled at her. It hits the counter behind Becky.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"  
  
"You shouldn't be butting into MY private life with Chris," Jill says, calming down, realizing the others can probably hear them from the other room.  
  
"You should just tell Chris everything," Becky says, also regaining her composure, "I never told a soul. I figured you should tell him anyway."  
  
"Tell me what?"  
  
Jill and Becky turned to Chris. He had entered the kitchen silently, during the heat of the battle.  
  
"I have nothing to say," Becky said, quickly leaving the room.  
  
Chris examined Jill. Her gaze had returned to the floor.  
  
"What's wrong, Jill?" He asked, taking a step closer to her.  
  
Jill finally met Chris's gaze, "Carlos came back."  
  
Chris just stood there as Jill told him everything from Carlos's mission to the invitation to Cuba to the kiss.  
  
After Jill finished telling him everything, it was Chris's turn to look to avoid her gaze, "We better join the others."  
  
He attempted to walk past Jill, but she grabbed his arm, "I'm sorry."  
  
"I know," Chris looked at Jill, "But we have bigger fish to fry right now."  
  
"What?" Jill asked, confused.  
  
"Umbrella."  
  
It's funny how all their troubles were summed up by one word. Umbrella: an object made to shield you, to protect you from the storm; not bring the storm to you.  
  
And suddenly, Jill understood. Chris had thought she was talking about Umbrella since the beginning, not about Carlos. He had been so distant because there was a new development, not because he had known. Everything she had said earlier, he had thought meant something else.  
  
She could have gotten away without telling him a thing. But instead she had exploded at Becky and probably lost Chris. But still, it felt good to be honest with him. He deserved that much.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Author's note: Please review! The 10th and final chapter should be up in the next 2 weeks or so. Sorry, but all that homework tends to get in the way XP 


	10. Solutions

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Alright, let's get this over with," Chris started the meeting once everyone had assembled, "Umbrella's up to something new over in Utah. Barry found this article on the internet earlier today."  
  
Barry passed out several copies of the article around the group. Chris stopped speaking as they all read it through.  
  
"I think it's obvious that we need to step in and do everything we can to stop this from happening again."  
  
"The plan is as follows," Barry took over, "Chris, Jill, and Becky will go to the compound Thursday night. Seeing as today is Wednesday, they're catching a flight late tonight with one of Chris's old air force buddies. Leon, Claire, and I will remain here until Friday evening. If we do not hear from the others by then, we go in and put a stop to this."  
  
Everyone around the group nodded.  
  
"Any questions?" Chris asked.  
  
No one moved.  
  
"Great. Let's get going," Barry said, "Chris and Jill, get the ammo ready. Becky, you look exhausted, go get some rest. Leon and Claire, go see if you can find anything about this compound on-line. I'll be here examining the article for clues as to what's going on." [Okay, think RE1 here: Barry examining a puddle of blood for 'clues'. I mean, let's get real...]  
  
Everyone nodded and dispersed.  
  
  
  
Chris and Jill went down to Barry's basement. Even after Raccoon, he still managed to keep a vast weapon collection.  
  
They each grabbed a duffle bag and began sorting through guns and ammunition.  
  
"You think they're at it again?" Jill asked.  
  
"Without a doubt," Chris responded, no emotion in his voice.  
  
They sat there for a moment or two in silence, nothing but the mechanical 'click' of loading the weapons.  
  
"I'm sorry," Jill said again, looking over at Chris. He was unusually focused on the task at hand.  
  
"For what?"  
  
"You know what."  
  
Chris put down the gun and looked at Jill, "You already apologized. There's no need to apologize again."  
  
He went back to the weapons.  
  
"You don't sound like you've forgiven me."  
  
Chris didn't answer.  
  
"Do you forgive me, Chris?"  
  
He remained silent.  
  
"Chris?" Jill asked again.  
  
Chris opened his mouth to answer, but Claire chose that exact moment to come bounding down the stairs, "Yo Chris! Mind if I take Jill place?"  
  
Jill frowned, but Chris shrugged and said, "Sure."  
  
Jill sighed and left. Claire hastily took her place.  
  
"What's up, sis?"  
  
"I should be asking you the same question. What's up with you and Jill?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Liar. Seriously, what's up?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Stop lying to me Christopher Redfield."  
  
"Oooo, you're using my full name. I'm scared."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
Chris smiled, "Carlos came back."  
  
Claire stared at her brother in disbelief, "Carlos? The one Jill said helped her get out of Raccoon City?"  
  
"Yeah," Chris growled.  
  
"You don't sound happy about it."  
  
"Did Jill ever mention Carlos fell for her?"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Carlos came back and tried to take Jill away from me," Chris started, and repeated everything Jill had told him, ending with Jill's apology; grimacing all the while.  
  
"That sucks."  
  
Chris grumbled.  
  
"Did she sound sincere?"  
  
"When?"  
  
"When she apologized. Do you think she was really sorry?"  
  
Chris thought about it, "Yeah, I guess I do."  
  
"Then what else matters?"  
  
Chris smiled. Nothing else did matter. He trusted Jill, and if she said there was nothing between her and Carlos, he believed her.  
  
"Judging from that look on your face, I'm right. Again," Claire smiled confidently.  
  
"Don't get used the feeling. With you, it never lasts long."  
  
Claire glared at her brother, "When was I ever wrong?"  
  
"Tenth grade, getting your driver's license: 'I don't need to study. I know everything by heart.' As I recall, you wound up failing that test at least twice."  
  
"We're all allowed one mistake," Claire smiled.  
  
"Okay, fine. Seventh grade: 'I don't need to pick up by roller blades. People should be smart enough to look where they walk.' Dad tripped over them and broke his arm!"  
  
Claire laughed, "You remember how angry he was!"  
  
Chris joined his sister's laughing fit, "Easy for you to laugh, he wound up grounding ME, he thought those were my roller blades; no matter how much I told him otherwise."  
  
"That's cuz they were yours! I got them when you outgrew them!"  
  
Chris and Claire collapsed in a fit of laughter.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Meanwhile, Leon and Jill were upstairs, trying to find out more information. Barry had gone upstairs to call his family, who were staying in Florida with friends, just as a precaution.  
  
Leon leaned back in his chair as he waited for a page to finish loading, "This really sucks."  
  
"No kidding," Jill responded, sipping her coffee.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
Jill smiled slightly, "I guess I'll live."  
  
"What's the problem, you've been acting funny?"  
  
"Just a little worried, that's all."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Going into the compound, what Umbrella's got in store for us, Chris..." Jill trailed off.  
  
"You and Chris having problems?"  
  
Jill sighed, "I don't even know..."  
  
"There's your problem."  
  
Chris and Claire came into the room, still laughing slightly.  
  
"Find anything interesting?" Claire asked, walking over to Leon.  
  
"Not much," Leon replied.  
  
"What about you?" Chris asked Jill.  
  
"Nothing," She answered quietly.  
  
"Well, we'll just have to keep looking," Chris said, resting his hand on Jill shoulder and squeezing it slightly. She looked up and him and he flashed his famous Redfield smile and nodded.  
  
She smiled too. And, right then, she didn't worry about the mission to the compound. Chris would be there and that would be enough to get her through it all.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Author's note: THE END! Anyway, it's kinda a cliffhanger so, if I get enough reviews, I may write a sequel to this. So if you liked this, please review! ^_^ 


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